Friday, March 31, 2006

Top 10 Tire Care Tips

Source: Rubber Manufacturers Association

1. Don¹t wait until it¹s too late - Make it a habit to check your tire pressure at least once per month and before every long trip. Under inflated tires causes excess heat build-up that can damage tires and lead to a failure.
2. Know your pressure point - The correct tire pressure is found on a sticker on the driver¹s door, doorpost or owner¹s manual NOT on the tire sidewall ­ that¹s the maximum pressure for the tire.
3. Keep your cool - To accurately measure your tire pressure, check tires when they are cold. Wait at least three hours after driving.
4. Take care of your spare - Check your spare tire each month and keep it properly inflated so it¹s ready to go when you need it most.
5. Penny for your thoughts - A penny can tell you if your tire is bald. Place a penny upside down into a tread groove. If you can see all of Lincoln¹s head, it¹s time for a new tire.
6. Keep yourself in line - Be aware of potholes that can not only damage your tire but can also jar your car¹s alignment.
7. Pick a date and rotate - Make sure you rotate your tires every 6,000 miles to promote uniform wear and longer tire life.
8. Don¹t take a spin without a cap - Driving without your tire valve cap allows for a slow leak of air from the tire and eventual underinflation.
9. Don¹t lose your balance - It is important to have your tire balance checked periodically to avoid irregular wear.
10. Be a weight-watcher - Overloading your vehicle stresses your tires and can lead to damage.

Monday, March 27, 2006

How to uninstall Windows XP SP 2


This is for all my PC friends. I woke up this morning to an error dialog on Trisha's computer telling me that after auto update had tried to install Windows XP SP2 the computer would no longer boot. So, if you are installing SP 2 and it fails, leaving your computer unbootable, here is a fix using your XP disc...

How To: Uninstall Windows XP SP 2 using Recovery Console:

Please note: If the computer cannot start in either Normal mode or Safe mode, then the Service Pack 2 removal can be started through the Recovery Console.

1. Turn on the computer with the Microsoft® Windows® XP disc in the CD/DVD drive. When prompted to start from the CD, press any key. If you miss the message and arrive at a blinking cursor, restart the computer and try pressing any key again when the message appears.
2. Windows XP Setup prepares to run. If you need to install a third party SCSI or RAID driver, press the F6 key during startup.
3. The option for an Automated System Recovery appears momentarily.
4. Setup loads the files necessary for the installation, and then starts Windows.
5. Press the R key to run the Recovery Console for Windows XP.
6. Press the number for the corresponding Windows installation for which you know the administrator password. (For most users this will be 1)
7. After selecting the appropriate Windows installation, type the administrator password when prompted.
8. The screen displays a C:\WINDOWS prompt.
9. At the C:\WINDOWS prompt, type: cd $ntservicepackuninstall$.
Press the ENTER key.
10. At the At the C:\WINDOWS\$NtServicePackUninstall$ prompt, type: cd spuninst. Press ENTER.
11. At the At the C:\WINDOWS\$NtServicePackUninstall$\SPuninst prompt, type: batch spuninst.txt. Press ENTER.
12. The batch file manually removes Service Pack 2 from the computer. This process takes several minutes.
13. At the C:\WINDOWS\$NtServicePackUninstall$\SPuninst prompt, type: Exit. Press ENTER. The computer restarts.
14. From the Start menu, click Run. In the Run dialog box, type:
Regedit. Click OK.
15. Locate the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ServicesRPCSs.
16. In the right pane, double-click ObjectName.
17. An Edit String dialog box displays. In the dialog box, type:
Localsystem. Click OK.
18. From the File menu, click Exit to quit Registry Editor.
19. Restart the computer.
20. Open Control Panel. From the Microsoft® Windows® XP default Start menu, click Control Panel. From the classic Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
21. In Control Panel, open Add or Remove Programs. If you are in Category View, click Add or Remove Programs. If you are in Classic View, double-click Add or Remove Programs.
22. In the Add or Remove Programs window, select Windows XP Service Pack 2, and then click Remove.
23. In the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Removal Wizard dialog box, click Next.
24. Service Pack 2 inspects the configuration, checks for necessary disk space, stops services, restores catalogs, and then runs processes before removal.
25. The computer deletes installed SP2 files and copies backup files to the hard drive.
26. In the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Removal Wizard dialog box, click Finish to restart the computer.


Note: If removing the Service Pack 2 through Recovery Console does not properly work, a repair installation of Windows XP will restore the original Windows XP files.

Friday, March 24, 2006

make money with my blog?!

OK, I know everyone has a " Make Money. Use AdSense to earn money with your blog." link on your blog page, but the question I have is, "Has anyone really made money with it?" and a very important follow-up,"Does this turn your blog into the Giant cyber billboard in the sky and run all your readers away?"

Friday, March 17, 2006


Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone!

OK lets talk Treo 650



I know the Treo 650 has been out over a year, but it is still the number 2 all-in-one handset out there. I am fairly new to the game, and I LOVE mine. I promised a friend of mine to help get him acclimated to his, so.... Here are my top ten add on apps (drum roll in background)...


1. DateBk5. This takes the Calendar app and pumps it up on steroids. It has become an extension to my brain.
2. PowerRUN. Moves many apps to your SD card. Almost no added delay. This little app was the make it or break it for me to move from my "Batman utility" belt of phone, camera, and Sony Clie´to an all-in-one.
3. Butler. Great for simple alarm interface, turning off that annoying blinking green light, and all sorts of "interface management" options
4. MyBible. A great Bible program that allows multiple versions (NLT, NIV, etc), adding of notes, highlighting, bookmarking, and much more. Laridian, the makers of MyBible, offer a free verse memorization tool and a free specialized book reader that can be used for daily devotions or reading plans. Both of these free-bees integrate very well with MyBible.
5. VolumeCare. Tweaks the volume settings so the volume can be doubled and the settings can be separate for handset, speaker phone, or hands free.
6. pTunes. Turns your Treo into an iPod. You are only limited by the size of your SD card.
7. FileZ. FREE. The best file management utility I have found. It has been my only means for deleting some stubborn file bits from trialware gone bad. And did I mention it's FREE?
8. BackupBuddy VFS Pro. The best money I have ever spent on any Palm app EVER. You can back everything (yes everything, including registrations, passwords, hidden files, all of it)to your SD card to restore from when bad things happen. Also comes with a computer app (both Windows and Mac) to backup everything at hotsync.
9. Documents to Go Premium Edition 8. Now you can open/read/edit/compose Word, Excel, Power Point, and PDF files on your Palm. With this latest verion you can even move the apps to your SD card!
10. Ringo. Now you can use MP3s as ringtones. It also alows you to assign ringtones to individuals or groups.



OK that's my top 10. I will get into games next time around.